Yankees Belt Witt in the Third, Beat Angels, 7-2

One thing the Angels needed Friday night when they opened a four-game series against the New York Yankees at Anaheim Stadium was a strong performance from starting pitcher Mike Witt.

They didn’t get it. Witt was gone after giving up seven hits and six runs, all earned, in three innings as the Yankees won, 7-2, before a crowd of 50,110, attracted in part by a flashlight giveaway.

If the Angels can’t count on Witt, who can they count on? The Angels haven’t gotten a victory from a starter since May 11, when Witt beat Detroit.

But now Witt (5-4) is struggling, too. He threw 74 pitches before retiring Friday night, and he was hit hard by the American League East leaders.

The crushing blows were delivered by Don Mattingly and Don Pasqua in the third inning, when they both hit two-run homers.

“This is really what we were anticipating when we left spring training,” New York Manager Lou Piniella said of the display of power. “It’s been slow in coming, but you have to give this team credit. We’re in first place.”

The Angels aren’t in first place. They now trail Kansas City by 3 1/2 games. California is now 21-20, and in those 20 losses, the Angel pitching staff has given up seven or more runs 14 times.

There was some encouragement Friday night, however. Rookie Mike Cook, who relieved Witt to start the fourth inning, turned in probably his best performance of the season.

Cook came into the game with an earned-run average of 6.26, but allowed the Yankees only one run on five hits in six innings.

Angel Manager Gene Mauch said he was “extremely pleased” with Cook’s outing.

Getting the victory for the Yankees was Rick Rhoden (5-3), who came to New York in an off-season trade with Pittsburgh.

In 6 innings, Rhoden, a one-time Dodger, allowed two runs on six hits, struck out seven and walked three. Rhoden was relieved by Pat Clements who got the last seven outs.

Mattingly went 3 for 5, including his homer and a ninth-inning double. He has had more than one hit in 14 games and has 17 hits in his last 37 at-bats.

After retiring the first five Yankees he faced, Witt gave up a single to Pasqua, who advanced to second on a walk to Mike Pagliarulo and scored on a double down the left-field line by Rick Cerone. Wayne Tolleson then hit a bouncer back to Witt to end the visitors’ second.

“Cerone hit a curve ball and Witt was kind of out of whack after that, and never got back on track,” said Mauch. “I don’t know what Mike’s problem was. He had five days’ rest when he usually has four. Maybe a change in his program might have affected him.”

Said Witt: “I’ve had a few rough outings this season. I thought I had my problems worked out. This sets me back.”

In the third, when the Yankees scored five runs, Witt got into immediate trouble. Rickey Henderson, leading off, doubled to the same spot Cerone had hit his the previous inning. Henderson came around to score on a single by Willie Randolph, and then came Mattingly’s two-run homer to right center.

After Gary Ward walked and Dave Winfield flied to center, Pasqua hit a high fly to center that carried over the wall, making it 6-0 with only one out.

Pagliarulo followed Pasqua’s shot with a sharp single down the right-field line. But Witt was able to get out of the inning with the help of two excellent defensive plays.

Left fielder Jack Howell went over the railing to grab a ball hit by Cerone that barely went foul, and then Doug DeCinces made a nice play at third on a hard grounder by Tolleson, throwing him out at first.

The Angels came back with two runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, Brian Downing got his second hit of the night, and then scored from first on a double by Wally Joyner. Devon White singled to score Joyner.

In the top of the fourth, Rhoden avoided a possible serious injury when, incredibly, he was able to catch a bullet hit right at him by Dick Schofield for the third out.

Angel Notes Angel outfielder George Hendrick, on the disabled list with a broken hand since April 22, saw a specialist Friday. Trainer Ned Bergert said Hendrick should be able to start hitting in a week or two. . . . Doug DeCinces, who hurt his throat last Saturday against Baltimore when he ran into a railing in left field, had the injury checked Friday and was given a clean bill of health. . . . Reliever Donnie Moore was given four injections for a nerve blockage in the rib cage and was OK by game time.

The Yankees’ are expected to activate pitcher Ron Guidry today. The free agent, who signed May 1, pitched five innings last Tuesday for Columbus, Ohio, the Yankees’ Triple-A club, in a game against Richmond and gave up two runs, one earned, and three hits. Manager Lou Piniella said Guidry, for now, will be used as a middle relief pitcher, and may see action during the series with the Angels, which concludes Monday with a 1 o’clock game. . . . Guidry may have a tough time breaking into the Yankees’ starting lineup. The Yankee starters have been sharp. Going into Friday night’s game, their combined record was 18-10. Said Guidry: “I don’t want to come in here and upset everything that’s going right. Anything they want me to do is fine with me.”

Angel catcher Bob Boone, who also signed May 1, came into Friday night’s game having hit in 9 of 11 games. But he was 0 for 10 in throwing out base runners. . . . Brian Downing broke an 0-for-16 slump with a first-inning single. . . . Tonight’s 7 o’clock game, matching the Angels’ Willie Fraser (2-1) against the Yankees’ Joe Niekro (2-2), will be televised by Channel 5.